Although Will and Elizabeth’s honeymoon had nothing to do with Montclair, I did want to spend some time on it. By twentieth century standards, their journey would be exciting, but taking into account the couple had traveled in 1793 in a Europe menaced by French revolutionary armies, their journey was remarkable. After visiting Spa in the Ardennes Forest and touring castles along the Rhine River, they went on to Lausanne on Lake Geneva where they were guests of Edward Gibbon, the historian and author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, at his lakeside home. It was there the couple learned that the Duke of Devonshire had recently sent for his duchess, and the party had immediately set out for England.
After visiting Milan, Verona, and Venice, they settled down for the winter in Florence in a sixteenth-century palazzo fronting the Piazza del Signorini. Inspired by the sights of Florence, Lizzy tried her hand at painting watercolors, with Georgiana as her instructor. However, she was so unhappy with the results, she “donated” all of her canvasses to a fellow Englishman and painter when the party moved on to Rome and Naples.
After an early bout of homesickness, Lizzy eagerly embraced her nomadic existence with her “beloved.” Lizzy was a faithful diarist from the time she married Will. Her entries also recorded the intimacies of the newly married couple from the earliest days of their marriage. When Will and Lizzy made love, she made note of it by referring to her husband as “my visitor.” Will was a frequent visitor.
The Laceys’ stay in Naples was particularly interesting. The Duchess of Devonshire had provided the couple with an introduction to the British Envoy to the Court of Naples, Sir William Hamilton, an amateur vulcanologist, whose beautiful wife was the famous, or infamous, Emma Hamilton, the future mistress of the hero of Trafalgar, Lord Horatio Nelson. I was scanning the pages for interesting entries, when one caught my eye:
14 April — Lady Hamilton never fails to amuse. Tonight, by request of the King, she posed in one of her attitudes as Cleopatra, ending with the Queen of Egypt’s death scene. With little more than a few shawls, including one that served as an asp, Lady Hamilton portrayed the grieving queen taking her life after learning that her lover, Mark Antony, was dead. I found myself drawn into her tableau and was deeply touched when at last Cleopatra closed her eyes. However, Will was offended by the suggestive nature of her poses but did not object when I struck a similar pose that evening after we had retired.
I was so glad that Lizzy and Will had married before the Victorian Age. Two generations later, a woman would never have written about the intimacies of marriage, but it was obvious these two lovers complemented each other in so many ways.
I was about to type out the entry regarding Lizzy and Will’s journey to Mt. Vesuvius, where Will burnt the soles of his boots on the lava, when the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, I nearly broke Beth’s ribs I hugged her so tightly.
“I thought you might be going dotty typing all those diaries, so I decided to come to London for a few days to see how you were getting on,” Beth said, putting down her suitcase. We went into the morning room, and Beth rang for Andrews. Andrews entered the room with a look of disapproval, believing I was the one who had summoned him. When he saw Beth, his whole demeanor changed.
“Andrews, is it possible to have some sandwiches served in here on a tray? Whatever is in the larder will do.” This was the Beth I rarely saw, but when I did, it was apparent she had grown up in a household full of servants and was quite comfortable in giving orders.
I told Beth I had come up with an idea that could possibly make everyone happy. A timeline showing events taking place in the lives of the Lacey family, along with transcriptions from Lizzy’s diary, would be juxtaposed with quotations from Pride and Prejudice.
After thinking for a few minutes, Beth said she liked it, and after finishing the history, she hoped I would continue working on the diary “at my leisure.” I didn’t say anything about going back to the States.
I told Beth how Lizzy called Will “her visitor” whenever they made love. “They were really and truly in love, just like you and Jack.”
Smiling, she said, “I can take a hint. But let’s wait for Andrews to bring the sandwiches. He is positively Victorian, and he wouldn’t appreciate hearing a discussion of my love life.”
Andrews brought in a tray with cucumber sandwiches and coffee. After making sure he was safely out of the room, Beth said, “Actually, at first, it wasn’t Jack whom I was attracted to but his brother, who was exactly my age. You’ve seen pictures of Tom at Crofton Wood, but they don’t do him justice. He had these incredible blue eyes and the most engaging smile. He was also a comedian, which made him everyone’s favorite.
“When I was about sixteen, Tom had invited me to go to a dance in Stepton. Matthew dropped the two of us and Billy, the footman, off at the dance hall. About an hour later, Jack came in with some friends and asked me to dance. He was most unpleasant.” Straightening her skirt, she continued, “He said the local girls had been waiting all week to come to the dance to show off in front of the boys, and then I had walked in and hogged the limelight.”
I couldn’t help but wince. Apparently, Jack didn’t approve of masters and minions mixing.
“I was terribly hurt because the thought had never entered my mind. After I had a few dances with the local boys, Jack offered to take me home. I had no choice because, if I rang the house, they would know what I had got up to. I was really quite intimidated by Mr. Crowell, and I didn’t want to have a lecture about above stairs and below stairs not mixing. When I got out of the car, I said to Jack, ‘You don’t like me very much, do you?’ And do you know what he said? ‘If anything, I like you too much.’ From that time on, I certainly paid more attention to him, but nothing exciting happened until the motor tour.”
“I’m surprised your mother let you go.”
“No more than I. But I didn’t know until later how much maneuvering my grandmother had done behind the scenes. We were a couple of weeks into the trip when we arrived in Brighton. While Reed was busy sketching, Jack and I went for long walks. Finally, he kissed me. There was nothing chaste about these kisses. We just about devoured each other. When we returned to Montclair, he acted as if we hadn’t been at each other for weeks. But before I knew it, he was on his way to Manchester, and I was off to Cambridge.
“At our annual Christmas tea, I slipped Jack a note asking him to meet me at an abandoned cottage the following day. I nearly froze waiting for him, but he did come. He was very agitated, and we had a violent argument. He said something to the effect that if we were ever to be together, I would have to be willing to give up Montclair and everything that went with it. I told him I would come into some money of my own from a trust fund when I turned twenty-one the following year. This is what he said to that, ‘Christ, would you listen to yourself? Someone who is going to come into some money from a trust fund shouldn’t be sneaking around with the butler’s son.’ And he stormed off.
“After the Lenten term, Jack came home, as he always did, but made no attempt to see me. Then one day my mother sent me to find Clyde, who was not quite normal, but who was capable of exercising the horses. Often, when out on his rides, he’d find a nice shade tree, tie up the horse, and have a lie-down. When I got to the stables, Jack was mucking out the stalls, filling in for one of the grooms. He asked if I was looking for him, and I said ‘yes.’ And he said, ‘What do you want?’ And I answered, ‘I want you to love me.’
“‘I already do. What else do you want?’ He said it just like that. ‘What else do you want?’
“I told him that I wanted him to marry me, and he dropped his rake and asked, ‘Have you gone off your head?’ I stood my ground and said, ‘No, I’m just in love.’
“I don’t know why he finally gave in, but we had a most pleasant afternoon. We met whenever we could, usually at an abandoned cottage at the far end of the property. But then he had to go back to Manchester, and I had to go through the motions of my third season. My mother was nearly in a panic because it was believed if a girl was not married by the third season, something was wrong with her, or why had she not made a match?
“The previous season I had met a handsome and intelligent gentleman named Colin Matheson. He had quite a reputation as a ladies’ man, and although I found him to be attractive, I was not going to be one of those who practically swooned when he came into the room. He asked if he could call on me, and not wanting to encourage him because of Jack, I told him I had a very crowded schedule. He didn’t like that answer, and he didn’t call. When my mother saw him in Paris, he told her what I had said, and she was not amused.
“Because I was in love with Jack, I had to put on this performance of looking for a husband, and so during the 1914 season, I encouraged Colin. Mama was so pleased with the way things were going that she agreed to let me go back to Montclair for a week’s rest before getting back into the game for the second half of the season. Of course, the reason I wanted to go back home was because Jack would be at Montclair on summer break.
“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that women are the worst gossips. Reed and I returned to Montclair by car with Billy Hitchens as our driver. Apparently, Billy told Jack about Colin, and when I went to look for him, his mother said he had gone up to the Highlands to work on a school project and would be gone for the rest of the summer. I went up to my room and cried my eyes out. When I returned to London, I agreed that Colin and I would become engaged at Christmastime.”
Beth closed her eyes as she tried to retrieve memories from thirty years earlier. “The summer of 1914 was glorious. There was no end to tennis parties and picnics. Colin and I drove down to Henley, where we met some of Reed’s friends, and we all went rowing on the Thames. My Aunt Laura, an admirer of Wordsworth, was visiting from New York, and we all went up to the Lake District and Windermere. You could hardly move with all the people strolling about the village. But Aunt Laura and Uncle Cal in New York did not come alone. Without my mother’s knowledge, they had brought Ellen Manning and little Gloria with them.”
“So Trevor got to see his daughter.”
“Yes, he did. Trevor, Ellen, and Gloria spent two weeks at the resort town of Eastbourne. It was Trevor’s intention to go to work for my Uncle Cal after the war and to marry Ellen. But you know what happened in France.
“All of that summer, there had been talk about war, and the great powers were mobilizing. But even after Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated, it seemed impossible that a major war would break out as a result of a death in the Balkans. But Colin was less optimistic.” Turning around facing the door, she said, “And I hear someone.”
It was Geoff. Beth was pleased to see him, and he put on his best public school manners and asked after the family. Reaching into her purse, she took out a piece of paper. “I’ve had a letter from Michael.” I moved to the sofa, so that Geoff and I could read it together. “I apologize for the handwriting. I don’t know what happened there, and he often forgets to date his letters.” I thought to myself, so did William Lacey.
Dear Mom, Dad, James, Angela, and Maggie,
This is my first day off since I arrived. It’s been ten days of twelve-hour shifts. Lubeck was used by the Luftwaffe as a night fighter base (Junkers 88s for those interested). Because it was a permanent installation on the North Sea, we have some very nice digs. The barracks is a brick building with central heating and is well insulated.
Since my arrival, I have been working on C-47 Dakotas exclusively. The Dakotas’ cargo is mostly coal, tobacco, and flour, but one crew delivered the goat mascot for the South Wales Borderer Regiment. The dust from the coal and flour get into everything, and it’s a nasty business cleaning everything for the next go-round, but these crews are stellar.
Starting tomorrow, I will be flying in and out of Berlin to work on aircraft that, for one reason or another, were unfit for the return flight. My crew and I will fly in with the parts, fix it, and return to Lubeck. The sergeant major asked if I wanted to go home on a short leave or have the time deducted from the end of my enlistment. I chose the latter because that will get me home on or about November 18th instead of the 25th.
Even though I don’t write that often, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. I’m too tired to do anything other than read your letters. It would be a lonely place without them. I love you all.
Mike
“Mike’s the last one to be demobbed,” Geoff said, “so we’ll have to have a grand party welcoming him back to civilian life.”
“Will Alberta be joining us?” Beth asked.
“No. Bertie and I have parted company,” Geoff said without his usual flippancy. “On the advice of a friend, I ended it because it was basically unworkable.”
After several discussions with Geoff about his relationship with Alberta, he had asked for my opinion. I told him that if I was in a relationship that was unworkable, I would rather know about it sooner rather than later. I had started a letter to Rob saying just that, but that letter was on my desk next to one I had received from my mother telling me my Aunt Marie was unwell. Mom did not say I should come home, but knowing how important my aunt was to me, she wanted to let me know that, at my aunt’s age, things could go from bad to worse very quickly.
Other than my mother, my grandmother’s sister Marie was the most important person in my life. She believed I could do anything I set my mind to. When I wanted to move to Washington after finishing secretarial school, my mother thought I was too shy to work in a big city, but Aunt Marie had encouraged me to go. When I hesitated about going to Germany to work for the Army Exchange Service, she told me if I didn’t go, I’d end up marrying a local boy and popping a kid out every other year. She practically pushed me out the door.
“Does your mother know about Alberta?” Beth asked Geoff.
“No. Mother has taken up residence at Lily’s house. I think she’s exhibiting an overabundance of caution regarding her pregnancy. Yes, she had a miscarriage, but so did you and so did my mother. It does not automatically follow that a miscarriage is a harbinger of future problem pregnancies.”
“It’s good of you to be so brave about this, Geoff,” Beth said, clearly annoyed. Standing up, she added, “I’m very tired, and I need to ring Jack.”
After Beth left the room, I told Geoff I didn’t know that Beth had a miscarriage.
“It happened in India when Violet and I were staying with Jack and Beth. Beth said she was going to lie down. The next thing I know, she’s calling for James to get Ayah and for Michael to bring some towels. When we found her, she was sitting on the bathroom floor with her head on the tub, quietly crying.”
Standing up, he said, “Excuse me. I need to find Beth.”
At breakfast, I told Beth that Geoff felt awful about what he had said. I was sticking up for someone who probably didn’t deserve it.
“Don’t worry, Maggie. Geoff is a very complex character, and I, perhaps more than anyone else, understand why he says the things he does. When he was with Jack and me in India, I was very hard on him. He was ten years old and throwing tantrums, something I never tolerated in my sons when they were toddlers. When he did come around, I found him to be extraordinarily bright and likable.
“Rather than sending Geoff and Violet back to England for schooling, I convinced Patricia to allow the children to stay with me and that I would supervise their education. When Geoff misbehaved, I told him if he didn’t straighten up, he would be joining his Burden cousins at Glenkill. That kept him in check.”
“Why? What’s wrong with Glenkill?”
“Nothing, if it’s the right fit, as it was with my boys. These public schools place a great deal of emphasis on games. Geoff is an agile athlete, but he has a slight build, which would have made him a target for bullies. Besides, he’s an intellectual with a love for history and the arts. Glenkill was all wrong for him. He managed to get expelled within a month of his arrival.”
Beth started to laugh. “He was very clever. He knew that attending religious services was mandatory, but from the beginning, he skipped out on chapel. When he was called before the headmaster, he declared he could not attend chapel because he was agnostic. The school notified Patricia that he could not continue, which is exactly what he wanted in the first place.
“Rand shrugged it off and enrolled Geoff at St. Paul’s in London, but Patricia was furious because the Burdens had been one of the founding families of the school. When she told him that every boy in the family had gone to Glenkill for generations, Geoff said…” Beth started to laugh. “He told his mother that generations of Burden males had pissed in the fireplace, ‘but we don’t do that anymore.’”
I could just picture Geoff standing defiantly before his black-robed headmaster. Geoff was not the big, tall fellow his father was, but he was someone who would stand firm if he believed in something.
“He certainly changes the discussion,” I said, declining Beth’s offer of sherry.
“Oh, yes. Where was I? It was when Jack and I were having a romp in the stables. We spent as much time pulling hay out of my hair as we did kissing,” Beth said, laughing. “But then the war came. All my stories end with ‘but then the war came.’
“My first involvement with the war effort was when our housemistress at Newnham asked if some of the girls would volunteer to go to the railway station to serve coffee to regiments passing through on their way to the Channel ports. But when we got to the station, the Red Cross had already set everything up. The woman in charge asked if we would be available to help with other things, such as knitting mufflers, and she explained that there were sewing and knitting clubs being organized to teach people how to do those things. All the while I was knitting balaclavas, socks, and mufflers, the British Expeditionary Forces, including Rand, were retreating from Mons in Belgium leaving thousands of dead behind them. Because of censorship, I don’t think anyone realized the extent of our losses.
“Our next assignment was to go to a warehouse that had been converted into a hospital. When the wounded arrived, we found they were not British at all, but Belgians. They were exhausted, filthy, and covered with lice, so we threw their uniforms into tubs of boiling water. This experience proved to be quite an eye-opener for me. Let’s just say their ideas regarding sanitation and modesty were quite different from mine.”
Beth stood up and asked if I had changed my mind about having a sherry, as she was going to have another. Even though it was getting late, and I had to work the next day, I said “yes” because I believed I was finally going to hear about Colin Matheson.
“I have avoided telling you about Colin because, after all of these years, I still find it difficult to talk about him. After Jack pushed off on me, I returned to London, where Colin was waiting. Because of his reputation, I had concerns about whether or not he could be faithful to one woman. I knew from an earlier conversation that he had tired of the whole London social scene. He didn’t want to have any more conversations with empty-headed debutantes, and he was tired of being the entertainment for bored wives. But it was only after he had assured me of his fidelity that I agreed to an engagement.
“Over the course of the summer, Colin courted me in royal fashion. There was hardly a day that went by when I didn’t get flowers or notes or something that had belonged to his mother. I allowed myself to believe I was in love. Since I couldn’t have Jack, the next best thing was Colin. But then the war came. See what I mean?
“Colin had served in the Irish Guards for four years and was considered to be a reserve officer. When war broke out, he was called up immediately. He fought at the First Battle of Ypres with the Guards suffering horrendous casualties. In December, he was given leave to come home so we could become engaged. But before I left Montclair for London, our family had the traditional Christmas tea. I kept looking at Jack, pleading for him to say something, but he didn’t.
“Colin was a sensible man, and he thought our wedding should be postponed until after the war. I’ve often wondered if we would have acted differently if we had known how long the war would last. He returned to Belgium in January and came home for leave in May. With both armies now trapped in static trench warfare, Colin hoped the combatants would negotiate a peace settlement. It was very difficult for him because he had studied in Dresden and had many German friends. He could hardly believe he might be shooting at them.
“I traveled with him to Harwich to see him off. He must have had a premonition about not surviving the war because he gave me his mother’s engagement and wedding rings. In his last letter, he wrote that his sector was very quiet. The biggest threats came from infiltrators and snipers and the occasional artillery bombardment each side used to remind the other they were still there.
“Colin was the last in his family, so when the telegram came, it was delivered to my father, whom Colin had listed as next of kin. He had been killed on July 2, 1915, in an artillery barrage. His colonel wrote that his death was immediate, and he did not suffer. I only hope it was true.” After pausing to dry her tears, Beth continued, “It’s so sad, because Colin had no one to keep his memory alive, so his mother’s rings have been in my jewelry box for thirty years.
“I remember crying on and off for days, and would do so again when Trevor was killed that autumn and Tom the following summer. By the time Matthew was killed, there had been so much death on the Somme, that it was a part of daily life. Someone you knew was going to get a telegram from the War Office. By the end of the war, I was barely functioning as a human being. What saved me was my love for Jack, and in the years following the war, my children. You have to move on, or you become a well of sadness.”
After hearing about Beth’s losses, I started to cry, and I knew it was time for me to go home. I wanted to be with my family, and I explained to Beth about my Aunt Marie.
Beth shook her head and said, “Maggie, please don’t. I know I’m being selfish, but this will be the first Christmas since 1940 that I’ll have all of my family together, and I consider you to be a part of my family. If you will stay until the new year, I’ll pay for an air transport ticket for you to the States.” Taking my hands in hers, she asked, “Will you do this for me?”
I loved Beth, but I was having the same tug at my heart as she was. I missed my family terribly. I was even starting to miss my brother. But it was my fear that Aunt Marie would die before I could see her again that was adding urgency to my plans to go home. I agreed to stay as long as I didn’t receive any bad news about my aunt. Beth gave me a quick hug and said, “Besides, Michael is coming home, and you wouldn’t want to leave before seeing him.”